FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEST. CATHARINE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATIONMonday, February 27, 2012

PATRIOT SOFTBALL STANDS 4-4 IN EARLY SEASON

The St. Catharine College softball team absorbed two tough losses Friday at Mid-Continent University. Leading both games of the doubleheader entering the final inning, the Patriots saw the homestanding Eagles score twice in both games to eek out one-run victories.

Then following a first game loss to Indiana Wesleyan at home Saturday, Holly Smith’s squad got back on the winning track with a last inning rally of its own in game two. The 1-3 week left the Patriots with an overall mark of 4-4.

This week the Patriots travel to Asbury University on Tuesday and Cumberland University (Tenn.) on Thursday. Then it is the beginning of Mid-South Conference play as Campbellsville University visits Salt River Electric Field for a twin bill Saturday starting at 1:00. Conference action continues on Tuesday as St. Catharine visits Lindsey Wilson College for a doubleheader.

At Mid-Continent the Patriots scored once in the seventh inning to tie the score at 5-5 and then took the lead with a run in the eighth inning. But Mid-Continent (3-1) plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.

Taylor Steff, Krystal Cammuse and Ashley Hardin had two hits each in the loss. Hardin took the loss in relief of Ashley Cardenas.

Game two produced the same result as the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 10-9 win. Kasie Prather and Taylor Eastridge had three hits each as the Patriots slugged out 13 hits. But six St. Catharine errors led to five unearned runs for Mid-Continent.

“Mid-Continent has a good team but when you get 15 runs in two games you should win them both,” said Smith. “Our defense let us down badly in game one and our pitching wasn’t good in the early innings of either game.”

In the home opener on Saturday the defensive woes continued as the Patriots had four errors in dropping game one 8-2. Hagan Goldey and Chelcie rein had two hits each in the Patriots’ seven hit attack.

But the day ended on a positive note as the Patriots rallied for a 4-3, eight-inning win in Saturday’s second game. Steff started the eighth inning at second base according to the extra inning tiebreaking rule. She advanced to third on a Goldey bunt and then scored the winning run on a suicide squeeze bunt by Rein.

Ashley Cardenas went all eight innings on the mound to get the victory. The senior from Santa Ana, Calif. allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out ten. Goldey and Eastridge each had three hits while Kasie Prather, Carrie Wilkerson and Cardenas had two apiece.